CeeB

I ended up getting wait-listed at UMD (eventually withdrew and accepted an offer elsewhere) this past application season. Based on my own numbers, I'd definitely suggest that you re-take the GRE. That program is pretty quantitative, so I would think a higher math score would be important. FWIW, my quant (160) and writing (5.0) score were a bit higher than yours. In regards to research, I had two publications under review (co-authored with faculty) at the time of my application, and, like you, my thesis used secondary data. I would suggest that you attend/present at some crim. conferences, if you haven't already. If you are really set on going to UMD, I would highly recommend attending the American Society of Criminology (ASC) meeting in DC this year and seeking out faculty (especially those you are interested in working with) and students from the program. It is an awesome opportunity to put a face to your application and could *potentially* help your chances. All of that said, if I learned anything about this whole process, it is that the whole thing can seem very arbitrary and make little sense. Some programs that I thought were a great fit, rejected me, and some programs that I thought weren't such a great fit, accepted me and made significant offers. And honestly, I thought I stood no chance of getting into UMD and I came pretty close... So, you never know! Good luck!

Just accepted UCSD's offer! I must say, it feels GREAT to be done with this whole process.

That is great news! Congrats

Thanks!! I really appreciate it

I really, really, really, would advise you not to pursue a graduate degree without funding. It is not worth it.

Anyone not accepting their offer from Maryland? Hanging out on the waitlist over here...

It doesn't have to be anything substantial. I know other students who presented research papers that they wrote for one of their classes. In my experience, it is not uncommon for people to submit abstracts before a paper is even finished (or started, in some cases). Last year, my paper was finished before I submitted my abstract, but my submission for the upcoming ASC is for a paper that is not even close to being complete. I wouldn't stress about lack of experience. We all have to start somewhere

Unless you already have $$ saved up, or have some external funding (parents?), I wouldn't count on being able to spend upwards of $5k on travel. That is also discounting the fact that you really can't afford spending your off-time traveling during the school year. The workload is no joke. The cost of living is pretty high in Maryland, and Irvine is about the same, if not more expensive. Not sure if it matters much to you, but these two cities are very different. College Park, like most urban areas (think Chicago, NY, etc.), can be pretty sketchy - something to consider if your GF is planning on joining you at some point. Irvine is more suburban, has a very low crime rate, and obviously the weather is way nicer. I applied to both schools as well, and I know my GF prefers Irvine for those reasons. If your biggest priority is seeing your GF more often, I would choose whatever school is closer to her. There's nothing wrong with that. Ranking is nice, but who is to say they won't change at some point? Both programs are great, so you really can't go wrong with either one. Hope that helps.

UCSD admits: I e-mailed the Grad Coordinator, and he says he expects to have funding info out before the Open House next week.

Yeah, it was MUCH bigger than I had anticipated. IIRC, there was maybe 5 or 6 professors (guessing based on age), one guy from the FBI, and the rest were students. To be honest, I think most people were there to hear from the others on the panel that didn't show up.. Most of the panels I sat in on were less than 10 people. I would definitely look into a regional conference for your first time just to get some practice and familiarity.. I presented at WSC (in Hawaii !) last year for my first time and it was a really good experience. It's a very laid back, supportive atmosphere compared to some others. ASC can be a little more intense and the discussions/Q&A's with the audience are definitely more critical.

At ASC, around 25. Oddly enough, I was on a thematic panel with 4 scholars from outside the US, and every one of them ended up canceling. So I was the only presenter. A little nerve-wracking, but it went well. I was a little surprised about the size of the audience. It was the first day and early in the morning, so a lot of people were stuck in the line to register and some probably weren't even awake yet.. I didn't expect anyone to show up At WSC and the other regional/smaller conferences (my first time presenting) there was around 10 or so people. I would definitely recommend a regional conference if you haven't presented before. It is a lot less formal and the audience is much friendlier..

No invitation necessary. Generally, people just submit an abstract for their paper individually, or they submit their abstracts with others if they already have a panel formed. The deadline for abstract submissions for ASC is next Friday. I presented at ASC this past year in SF and have been to/presented at a couple other regional criminology conferences if you have any questions about it. Here is the link for more info, if you're interested: http://asc41.com/Annual_Meeting/2015/2015meeting.html

I have a friend/former classmate at UCI currently. She lives in grad housing with a roommate, which cuts the cost of living by quite a bit. I think either stipend is doable, but it really depends on what kind of lifestyle you prefer and how careful you are about spending. I have survived the last two years on a ~14k stipend as a TA in my masters program and I live semi-comfortably.. I live in a decently sized 2 bd/2 bath apartment with one roommate. After rent, I would say most of my money is spent on groceries/food. Of course, California is more expensive than AZ, but if you're willing to live a certain way I think you can make it work.

Just got an e-mail from Maryland - waitlisted

Did you hear from Maryland yet? Saw a couple acceptances on the results page.